Bill Gates alumni launch clean energy policy group
- ByStartupStory | November 1, 2025
Bill Gates Alumni Launch Clean Energy Policy Group to Accelerate Climate Innovation
A group of former policy leaders from Bill Gates’ Breakthrough Energy initiative has launched a new nonprofit organization—the Clean Economy Project (CleanEcon)—dedicated to advancing policies and political efforts that accelerate the deployment of clean energy technologies in the United States.
The Clean Economy Project, led by Aliya Haq, who previously served as Breakthrough Energy’s Vice President for U.S. Policy and Advocacy, aims to make clean energy “the most affordable, reliable, and fastest way to power America’s economy.” The group focuses on removing the bottlenecks that slow down energy project development, reducing costs, and de-risking private investments in the clean energy sector.
CleanEcon is comprised of about a dozen former Breakthrough Energy staff and enjoys the backing of over 10 philanthropic and venture capital funders, reflecting a hybrid approach that blends policy expertise with private sector pragmatism. Its work involves lobbying, coalition building, promoting regulatory reforms such as permitting streamlining and grid modernization, and connecting policymakers with startup innovators to foster rapid clean technology adoption.
The formation of CleanEcon follows the shuttering of Breakthrough Energy’s U.S. policy team earlier in 2025, a decision influenced by the challenges of affecting significant policy change under the previous U.S. administration. Determined to continue driving climate progress, the alumni reconstituted under this new banner to pursue more actionable outcomes with a focus on energy infrastructure deployment and innovation acceleration.
Aliya Haq highlights the group’s core philosophy: clean energy technologies can outcompete fossil fuels when barriers to project development and financing are removed. Rather than emphasizing slowing down fossil fuels, CleanEcon promotes accelerating the clean energy transition to reduce costs and power economic growth.
The new organization maintains a close relationship with Breakthrough Energy and retains Bill Gates as a leading champion of climate innovation, even as Gates has shifted some of his philanthropic focus towards global health. CleanEcon’s pragmatic and market-oriented approach seeks to build a broad political coalition beyond traditional climate advocates by demonstrating the economic benefits of clean energy, including reduced power costs and increased domestic manufacturing.
By focusing on practical solutions like permitting reforms, transmission planning, and supporting early-stage demonstration projects, CleanEcon aims to achieve measurable results in speeding up the deployment of climate-friendly technologies and infrastructure.
In summary, the Clean Economy Project represents a renewed effort by Bill Gates alumni to shape a robust clean energy policy ecosystem that fosters innovation, investment, and deployment. Its work underscores that America’s competitive edge and climate future depend on pragmatic policy actions that make clean energy the default and economically superior choice.
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